Bank feed



H. K. KING BANK FEED June 4, 1940.

Filed Oct 20, 1939 s Sheefs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .fibwaret 1519,

BY WM M.

ATTORNEY June 4, 1940. K. K|NG I 2,203,531

BANK FEED Filed Oct. 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Foa'ardl TK' BYw/g Ma& ATTORNEY H. K. KING June 4, 1940.

BANK FEED Filed Oct. 20, 1939 a Sheets- Sheet s Nb \n 8 Q .sw m Us vs. aNM) .WQ. KIN

INVENTOR .JTOMarcZlKm BY %.4

approaches continuous action.

Patented June 4, 1940 PATENT OFFICE BANK FEED Howard K. King,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Chambers Brothers Company, a corporationof Pennsylvania Application oer-eta 2c, 1939. seals... 300.309

5 clai s. (01. 27138) The invention relates to improvements inbank feedfor continuous sheet feeding machines.

The" object is to provide improved] means whereby the bank feed issecured which closely In accordance with the now common practice thisaction is intermittent. i i In accordance with the presentinvention apredetermined thickness of paper is maintained at a desirabledistanceback of the front edge of the feathered bank. This distance mayvary substantially without adversely affecting the operation. Thedistance may be arbitrarily see lected and no adjustment of thedistanced deemed necessary. l

The featheredbank is Wedge-shape and runs under ahinged'or pivotedfinger, which calipers the thickness of the paper between the end of thefinger and the feed board. j w l The caliper is manually adjustable andcan readily be set to keep the desired numbers of sheetsunder thecaliper. A slowly driven friction clutch memberjis adapted tocommunicate themotive power for rotating the drum "that feeds the bankforward. When there is sumcient pressure on this clutch member, the bankfeeding drum revolves and the bank feeds forward continuously untilinterrupted by the release of the clutch. The lifting of the caliper bythe paper causes this release Air pressure gfrom any constant sourceupona diaphragm, acting through a suitable lever, causes the engagementof the clutch. A light airpressure is sufficient,

but this pressure should be uniform. In the pipe or passage fromconstant air pressure source to the diaphragm is provided a restrictedair passage. Between this point and the diaphragm'is .a'branchpipe linerunning to the caliper device and ending in a large nozzle, which isadapted tobe opened to the atmosphere. iskept closed or nearly closed,as. the case may be,' by the rear end of the caliper bar. This bar ispivoted at a point between the end intended to rest on the paper and theend adapted to bear against and close the nozzle. Within reasonablelimits, the greater the difference in area of the restricted passage andthe nozzle opening. the more sensitive the device will be. Thewithdrawal of one sheet should cause forward feed to, take place. Thedriving friction member should be geared. to run considerably fasterthan the driven friction will ever be required to go, if it were runcontinuously.

The object is to provide means adapted totake care of any sheet or bankthickness, also any size of sheet.

If however, it should be required to have the bank feed practicallycontinuous this object may be accomplished by introducing an adjustablevariable speed drive for the driven friction. In

This nozzle this case the. speed of the driving friction can be set tobe slightly more than that required of the driven. friction. Withoutresorting to this last extreme however, the bank feed may be averylgentle feed. a w Theweight of the end of the caliper bar, whichrests upon the paper, must be heavier than that of the end closing. thenozzle, an amount sufficient to' close the nozzle against the airpressure. The drawings show the device adapted for use in connectionwith a continuous combing wheel feeder; however it can be set in anyposition desired, and adapted to other types of continuous feeders.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate merelyby way ofexample,suitable embodiments of the invention. l Fig. 1' is. a side elevation ofa continuous combing wheel feeder with the improved bank feed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing more clearly the caliperingdevice and the bank feed. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,showing the bank feeding friction and associated parts on an enlargedscale. w

Fig. lis a vertical section of the calipering device on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 5 is a section through the air pipes, showing the restrictedpassage, on a still larger scale.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views.

Sheets are placed on the upper feed board H in the usual featheredmanner, and are carried around drum l2, by the tapes !3 and I4, onto thetapes l5, on the lower feed board I6, and forward under combing wheelsIll and under the correct distance above the feed board, the. ma-' chinewill then automatically take care of the proper feed. l I The action ofthe combing wheels I! increases thefeathered step from the point ofcombing wheel action to the feed roller 20. The separation will begreatest near the feed roller. The drop roller 2| descends on the feedroller 20 and takes the top sheet away. The cut-outs that cause thecombing wheels to rise are not shown. The cam shaft 22 makes one turnper cycle. The'gears between this shaft and feed roller 20 are notshown. On shaft 22 is secured gear 23 which drives gear 24; to gear 24is secured gear 25, turning 'on stud 23. Gear 25 drives gear 21. To gear21 the sprocket wheel 28 is secured, both turning on the stud 29. Thechain all drives from sprocket 28 to sprocket 3|. The sprocket similar Iparts passage 45.

3| is secured to the hub of friction member 32, see Fig. 3. Frictionmember 32 is freely mounted on shaft l9 and, when in operation, isslowly turning on this shaft. The driving friction 32 is faced withleather 33 or other suitable :material. The driven friction member 34 issecured to and rotatable with shaft l9 and also to the tape drum 35.Gear 36 is secured to and rotates with shaft l9. Gear .36 drives gear31. This gear 37 is secured to and rotates with shaft 38. To this shaft38 is secured the drum I2. Gear 3? drives gear 39. This gear 39 ismounted on shaft 46, which, in turn has mounted on it tape drum 4|.

These drums I2, 35 and 4| drive the tape lines I3, I4 and I5, which inturn carry the paper as stated.

The air pipe line, as shown in the present example, is connected to apneumatically operated or controlled feeder; part of the air supplycoming. through the hollow rail 42. The pipe 43 leads from this rail tothe T 44, see Figs. 1 and 5. Within the T 44 is provided the restrictedPipe 46 leads from the T 44 to the diaphragm assembly 41. The flexiblehose 48 leads from T 44 to the channel 51 of the caliper element 49. r

The calipering device is shown in Figs. 1, 2

. and 4.

The element 49 is pivotally mounted, at 50, on the combing wheelsupporting member The calipering adjustment is controlled by manuallyoperated right and left handed thumb screw 52.

. One end of this screw is threaded right hand,

and the other, left hand. 7

By the operation of this thumb screw 52, the caliper may be adjusted tobe effective on banks of desired thickness. The calipering bar 8 ispivoted, as at 54, to the bracket or calipering element 49, and isadapted to swing freely on this pivot. The calipering end 53, of bar 3is sufficiently weighted normally to maintain its opposite end 55, inrequired closing engagement with the air escape nozzle 56, which isprovided at the discharge end of the air passage 51. This air passage 51receives the air under pressure from the flexible hose 48. The caliper|8 which cooperates with nozzle 56, controls the escape of air from theT and consequently from pipe 46.

The nozzle-56 is closed except when opened by the thickness of paperbank passing under the end 53 of said caliper bar l8. An extremely smallopening of the escape nozzle 56 will change the pressure. in air line 46sufficiently to effect the operation of the clutch.

As each top sheet is taken away by the feed roller 26 and drop-roller2|, the thickness of the feathered bank of paper under the caliper :at53 is'reduced and causes the bank to feed forward the necessary amount.

Means for the automatic control of the bank feeding, are shown in Figs.3 and 4. In Fig. 3,

a pneumatically controlled clutch is shown. Air pressure in pipe line 46puts pressure on diaphragm 58 and-piston 59. otally connected at 6| withthe clutch engaging lever 62. Lever 62 is pivoted at 63, to a stationarypart of the frame 64. Lever 62 is bifurcated and pivoted on either sideto collar' 65. Collar 65 is freely mounted on the hub of the clutchmember 32. Thus it is obvious that pressure at pivot point 6| of lever62 will put increased pres- Piston rod 6|] is pivsure on clutch member32, thus causing its effective engagement with clutch member 34. Inorder that the clutch may be free from any tendency to grab, thereleasing spring 66 is introduced.

In operation; clutch member 32 is constantly rotating, the clutchmembers 32 and 34 are always in apparent engagement. This engagement iseffective during part of the time, and slipping part of the time. Thusas each sheet is withdrawn the bank is fed slowly forward. This speed isdetermined by the combined effect of the pressure engagement of thefriction elements and the speed of driving friction32. As stated, thisfriction is run fast enough to cover the range of operating conditions.

What I claim is: I

1. Means for feeding a bank of sheets comprising a rotatable drum, meansfor causing rotation of said drum, including a continuously rotatingdriving clutch element, and a driven clutch element adapted to haveslipping engagement with the driving clutch element, pneumaticallyoperated means for controlling the pressure of engagement of said clutchelements, and a sheet calipering device for controlling the pneumaticpressure.

2. Means for feeding, a bank of sheets comprising a rotatable drum,means for causing rotation of said drum, including a continuouslyrotating driving clutch element, and a driven clutch element,pneumatically operated means for controlling the cooperation of theclutch elements, said clutch elements having a slipping engagement, thepressure of said engagementbeing responsive to variations in thepressure exerted by the pneumatically operated means.

3. Means for feeding a bank of sheets comprising a rotatable. drum,means for causing rotation of said drum, including cooperating frictionclutch elements, one clutch element having constant rotative movement,the other clutch element adapted to have slipping engagement therewith,andto approach the speed of rotation of the driving clutch element, withthe increasing pressure engagement of the said clutch elements.

4. Means for feeding a bank of sheets comprising a rotatable drum, meansfor causing rotation of said drum, including a continuously rotatingdriving clutch element, and a driven clutch element adapted tov haveslipping engagement with the driving clutch element, pneumaticallyoperated means for controlling the pressureof engagement of said clutchelements, and a sheet calipering device for controlling the pneumaticpressure, said speed of rotation transmitted from the driving to thedriven clutch element increasing, with the increase of pneumaticpressure exerted thereon, from zero toward the speed of the drivingclutch element.

5. Means for feeding a bank of sheets com-' prising a rotatable drum,means for causing rotation of said drum, including a continuouslyrotating driving clutch element, and a driven clutch element, a springpositioned between said clutch elements and tending to cause separationof the same, pneumatically operated means for effecting the cooperationof the clutch elements, which are adapted normally to have a slippingengagement, and a sheet calipering device controlling the pneumaticpressure.

HOWARD K. KING.

